For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ. Romans 5:17 (NLT) Once you have given your life to Jesus, you have direct access to God. You can go to Him anytime—Jesus made this possible for you! Do you take advantage of it? Hebrews 10:19-22 says “So, friends, we can now—without hesitation—walk right up to God, into ‘the Holy Place.’ Jesus has cleared the way by the blood of his sacrifice, acting as our priest before God. The “curtain” into God’s presence is his body. So let’s do it—full …

Also [Jesus] told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not to [a]turn coward (faint, lose heart, and give up). Luke 18:1 (AMPC) In order to steer clear of temptation and stay on the right track in your everyday life, you need to access the power of God. Luke 18:1 tells us that we need to stay strong so that we do not cave in, give into temptation or be taken out by the enemy. We are able to hold fast by accessing God’s power. There are only two ways to access the power of God—prayer and the Word. When we pray, we access God’s power and we don’t give in to temptation—we are not destroyed by the storm. …

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.  Romans 12:2 (NKJV) We all have mis-beliefs that hold us back from grabbing hold of everything God has for us. For example, if you have been struggling with a health issue for a long period of time, you may have given up hope that you will ever be free of it. You know on an intellectual level that God heals people but you question if He will really heal you. You need to release God’s promise to heal you. Isaiah 53:5 says “with the stripes [that wounded] Him we are healed and made whole.” …

He chose us [actually picked us out for Himself as His own] in Christ before the foundation of the world, Ephesians 1:4 (AMPC) Thousands of years before you were born, God voiced His desire to adopt you as one of His children. Ephesians 1:4 says that He knew you would come along. No matter what the circumstances of your conception and birth, God wasn’t surprised. He knew about you and prepared an amazing plan for your life. One Sunday as I spoke on this topic, I used the example that even if you were a product of a rape, God knew you would come along. He didn’t plan for the horrible act of violence to happen to your mother but He did have plans for …

And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near. Hebrew 10:25 (NLT) I grew up in a wonderful family but I realize that’s not the case for many. When describing family, I often use personal experiences, but one Sunday I apologized because I didn’t want to seem as though I was bragging. The response I received was interesting. Several people encouraged me to keep sharing stories. One told me “I didn’t grow up in a healthy family. Your stories help me paint a new picture of a healthy family. Please don’t stop!” Many who have had unhealthy examples so desperately want to create health in their family. …